1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a door lock arrangement for motor vehicles, for example, for a rear door or sliding door of a motor vehicle or for a rear hatch, and in the extreme case, also for a hood, of the type having a closing cylinder arrangement attached to outer sheet metal of the vehicle body so to be accessible from the outside, and a lock mechanism attached in the body so to be inaccessible from the outside. In particular to such a lock arrangement in which a closing cylinder arrangement has a transfer element which establishes the connection of closing cylinder arrangement of the lock mechanism, the transfer element making a form-fit engagement with a corresponding coupling element on the lock mechanism, such that rotary motion of the transfer element is converted into a corresponding rotary motion of the coupling element.
2. Description of Related Art
Door lock arrangements for motor vehicle doors are known in a host of embodiments. For this invention, the prerequisite is that the door lock arrangement, in the vehicle body, has a lock mechanism which is attached so as to be inaccessible from the outside and which, however, can be actuated from the outside via a closing cylinder arrangement. The closing cylinder arrangement on the outer sheet metal of the body, whether on the motor vehicle door or on the outside sheet metal of the frame, is attached to be accessible from the outside. Interesting examples of such arrangements can be found in published German Patent Application No. DE - A - 36 28 376 and in German Patent No. DE - C - 38 27 564.
A transfer element is used to transfer the adjustment motion of the closing cylinder arrangement into the lock mechanism. It can be learned, for example, from published German Patent Application No. DE - A - 36 28 376, how this closing cylinder arrangement is mounted on the finished vehicle. Generally, the lock mechanism is already located permanently in its location in the body of the motor vehicle, the closing cylinder arrangement is joined to the body from the outside and is screwed in turn from the inside to the body. The joining results in the transfer element of the closing cylinder arrangement engaging a coupling element corresponding thereto on the lock mechanism so that, in the mounted state, the two elements engage one another by form-fit. Very often the coupling element is attached to rotate in its bearing around its own longitudinal axis and is caused to axially engage the transfer element by form-fit. This coupling element is called a nut. This nut can be made in one part (published German Patent Application No. DE - A - 36 28 376) or in two parts, consisting of an outer nut and an inner nut (German Patent No. DE - C - 38 27 564). A two-part nut has special advantages with respect to the transfer of adjustment movements into the lock mechanism and the actuation of switches partially independent therefrom for control functions.
The above described door lock arrangements for motor vehicles have been known for a long time in different embodiments and have proven effective. Increasingly motor vehicles are equipped with antitheft systems. On the one hand, there are mechanical components for implementing the antitheft functions of the individual door lock arrangements, and on the other hand, there is alarm triggering when the door lock arrangements are actuated illicitly.
Recently, there have been more and more motor vehicle thefts in which the car thief removes the closing cylinder arrangement from the outside sheet metal of the body by force. The thief then reaches the transfer element, or if the transfer element is entrained by the closing cylinder arrangement, in the forced removal of the closing cylinder arrangement. If it was actuated properly from the closing cylinder arrangement, the coupling element on the lock mechanism can be actuated with a corresponding tool from the outside. Thus, the circuit of the antitheft system (alarm system) does not recognize that forced penetration into the interior of the motor vehicle is taking place here and there is no alarm.